no but I should...I have a kid who is Bi-Polar...

Sad?!?! Sad how mean these bipolar kids were treated by their peers? I HOPE you are kidding. Bipolar kids will behave like monsters and even kill.

http://health.discovery.com/videos/psych-week-2010-chase.html

Here is a link that might be useful: Discovery - BiPolar

Regardless, Dilly Dally, why would they deserve to be treated badly? They can't help the condition they were born with.

Very very sad, on so many levels. Mostly, because we don't yet understand it.

Wow, dilly dally...those are some harsh words. I'm not familar with bi-polar disorder, and perhaps some can behave poorly (because I wont call them monsters or killers) but they dont deserve to be treated like they aren't human. I highly doubt they did anything intentional to deserve to be treated that way.

And I'm sure your comment didnt make liz feel very good. You should be ashamed of yourself.

I doubt you've walked in her shoes. Until you have, maybe you should be less judgemental and feel some compassion for those living with the disorder, or those parenting someone with it.

Ok, I have to admit, I didnt watch dilly dally's video until after my post. Had I have watched it first, I would've had much more to say.

That video broke my heart. When he started acting out, you could see the fear and frustration and sadness in his eyes. I noticed it immediately. He was saying "I can't stop". NOBODY deserves to experience that and for those that do, I am so sorry. But equally important, they don't deserve to be treated poorly for something they so obviously cannot control.

From what I understand, bipolar is the new word for what used to be called schizophrenic. Is that true?

Schizophrenia and Bipolar disorder are two completely separate mental illnesses although certain behaviors may overlap. Bipolar sufferers also frequently have symptoms of ADD and OCD also but the Bipolar refers to the mood swings caused by chemical brain imbalance. Bipolar Disorder used to be referred to as manic/depressive which is a more apt term in my opinion.

"But equally important, they don't deserve to be treated poorly for something they so obviously cannot control."

My point is that the other kids in school or their siblings don't' deserve to be treated poorly or have to fear for their lives or safety. The violent kids should not be mixed in with normal kids.

Check out this girl's behavior in the link below. It's like 'The Exorcist' movie. An uncontrollable "episode" with the types of kids can last hours, or even days or weeks before they swing back to normal. If a kid's behavior is violent they should not be mixed with other kids. If your kid came home from school and said that another kid flew into a rage for no reason and started bashing his head in with a rock would you just go "Oh Billy, don't be so rude. Little Jimmy is bipolar and you just gotta put up with it."

It is not the responsibility of other little kids to have to "deal with it". They are little kids. Not adults. In the video below it shows a very young boy stressed out by his sisters outbursts and the poor kid is struggling to "help" and "be understanding" of his sister. I think this boy is going to have problems when he is older because too much is being placed on him. There is no way he can feel secure in that household and grow up normal himself.

http://health.discovery.com/videos/psych-week-2010-kelsey.html

Here is a link that might be useful: OMG

Dilly Dally, I was referring to the program I watched. These kids were teased and taunted, even at their best. The other kids were mean in the sense they pushed and caused the bipolar kids to go into a fit of rage. Obviously, you didn't watch this and was commenting when you knew absolutely nothing about what I was referring to. I think your comment was rude and harsh.

Not very often I'm rendered speechless. In all my years on the boards, I've seen some pretty ugly things, but never anything so thoughtless or insensitive.

Jamie - Looks like your answer played out right here: the kids tease because they don't know better. They don't know better because they are being raised by people who don't know better.
Hard to fathom in the case of he adults.

Dilly, you are exaggerating. I have an extended family member with the disease and before she would agree to treatment she was rotten to her dh, but did not bash his head in. Yes, there are a few extremes and those people sometimes end up being shot by police, but drugs are also sometimes involved and it is not common.

The daughter of dear friends is schizophrenic; there is some history of the disease in the female line. This woman does OK *if* she stays on her meds. Her disease only really came to the fore during her late teens. She has had three children -- all surrendered.

I met a very lovely woman who is bi-polar when she was searching for a birthchild through our volunteer group. All of the children in her marriage are bi-polar in varying degrees. The adult adoptee she found was, too. It was a huge relief to him to know there was a medical basis for his extreme mood swings -- and to know which meds had and had not helped his birth mom and his half-sibs.

Slightly OT: Do you know how expensive it is to treat some of these disorders? Meds alone are often $5000+ a year. Then there are the psychiatric bills, and sometimes in-patient stays.

"I doubt you've walked in her shoes. Until you have, maybe you should be less judgemental and feel some compassion for those living with the disorder, or those parenting someone with it."

My comments were general and not directed to any one person.

What about walking in the shoes of those who are the victims of kids with bipolar? Or Autism? Or any other popular "diagnosis". Hey, maybe the bullies have a "disorder" too that makes them bullies? Why yes, they do have a diagnosis for 'bullies' and it is called: Antisocial Personality Disorder.

http://www.bullyonline.org/workbully/apd.htm

No one seems to exhibit any sympathy for those who are the real victims. Normal kids should not have to be afraid to go to school, or walk down the street in their own neighborhoods, or feel safe in their own home. Who is helping the real victims?

What has been called Childhood bipolar disorder is now actually NOT bipolar. A new disorder category has been created by the American Psychiatric Association called Temper Dysregulation Disorder with Dysphoria (TDD) and will be included in the upcoming 5th Edition Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder(DSM-V) although TDD has been used as a diagnostic for quite some time already. There is still childhood bipolar disorder diagnostics occurring but said to be rare in actuality. Read about it below.

"In all my years on the boards, I've seen some pretty ugly things, but never anything so thoughtless or insensitive."

Check out the Gary Coleman thread. The idea of tossing a little guy's corpse into an old beer cooler was hilarious to many, and I was put down and laughed at for being appalled at the insensitive cruelty implied.

Here is a link that might be useful: Read About It

I mostly agree with Dilly. No matter what the diagnosis, violent children should not be mainstreamed with non-violent children.

My sister-in-law is BP and her life is a living hell. I couldn't even BEGIN to explain the heartbreak we've been through with her. :( It's not easy for anyone who deals with BP people.

Blessings,
Haley

Wildchild, thanks for explaining the difference; perhaps it was manic-depressive that I heard was the "former" bipolar. I appreciate the correction and response to my question.

Either way, my heart goes out to anyone who has the disorder, loves somebody who has it, or has to interact with somebody who has it.

And wildchild seems to know everything...

Wildchild has alot of experience dealing with someone with bipolar disorder so I would think she would know alot about the subject...her info is right on.

No child should ever have to be bashed in school, but I understand the frustration of dealing with people with bipolar disorder after working in mental health so long. It is extremely difficult to deal with in someone you know, and I can see how people can get to the end of their ropes. Unfortunately, mental illness is unfair to all involved...the person experiencing it and their loved ones.

I have long experience with a bipolar family member, too. As Haley says, her life is a living hell, and I have great compassion for her.

Nonetheless, her illness is just awful for those around her, and I also have great compassion for those of us who have to deal with her, too. Just because it isn't her fault that she's mentally ill doesn't mean that there aren't terrible problems dealing with her.

Dilly - coleman deal is a different topic.

I was taken back by your original comment as others were. Not all people with bipolar are violent.

That's a pretty broad stroke you painted there. Sounds like maybe there's some personal stuff going on.

I wrote many more words when I posted last night on this thread, but deleted most of it. I DO see both sides of this discussion, having an autistic grandson and a bipolar son. It is hard for an "outsider" to see a child/sibling being disturbed by the behaviors of those who suffer from some disorders...ie: autism, bi-polar outbursts or rages. I am "disturbed" by them, just as I am disturbed by seizures that epileptics have or heart attack victims have. Those disturbing scenes are opportunities to learn how to deal with unusual disorders. I doubt I will ever forget my first encounter with an epileptic event... or my grandsons' rages during his early years when we didn't know what his disorder was. It IS profoundly scary to children and adults alike....but we are a more enlightened society for discovering that everyone is not the same. Some brains are wired differently and learning to be tolerant of those differences, starting in those "mainstreamed" environments. Maybe the "bullies" of the world need to have it pointed out to them that only a by a quirk of nature they are not the one with the disorder. "But for the grace of GOD go I". BTW, those clips seen on TV are real, but they are "worst case" clips where different therapies and interventions haven't worked. Many more stories need to be told of the successful lives that have been saved by education, tolerance, medicine and all the things that can be done to give everyone a chance to live healthy lives. Nanny

I have started to post here and erased several times, but I just have to say how apalled I am at some of these comments. You know dilly dally, you can take all the bipolar, autistic and other special needs kids out of your schools, but that will not stop bullying or keep some kids from being intimidated or even hurt by others. I was offended by the Gary Coleman thing, too, but I am finding this to be MUCH worse. What's your answer - lock everyone up that isn't "normal" - whatever the heck THAT is?

I've lived with this disorder my entire life. I'm not a monster. I've never killed anybody. And I certainly made it through the public school system without mayhem and without maiming or injuring a soul.
Of course there are going to be extreme cases and those are the cases the uninformed public take as the God's awful truth and spread fear like wildfire.

When one reads thru threads such as these it is very clear who has dealt with such difficult issues in their lifetime and those who have not. Experience often softens hearts.

Thank you Jennmonkey.

I understand where Dilly is coming from. Sleeperblues said it well. Mainstreaming has gone to far. Not only should classrooms have to deal with children who are disruptive with mental disorders but even some physical disabilities as well. Mainstreaming a child in a wheelchair is one thing, mainstreaming a child who has to have medical personal by their side to handle equipment and do lifesaving medical procedures is quite another. That's why they are called handicaps. Life's not always fair and you shouldn't punish the majority to level the playing filed for a few. Blind men cannot become commercial airline pilots and some children just don't belong in regular classrooms. We talk about how our classrooms are failing our students. Well this is one area where we are failing them. Follow the money.